Study of child-resistant packaging technologies to prevent children from accidental ingestion of drugs in Japan

Abstract

When handling high risk medications, such as anticancer agents, at home, it is necessary to take measures to prevent children from accidentally ingesting these drugs. In this study, we investigated pediatric characteristics such as literacy ability and finger function in Japanese subjects and examined the usefulness of child-resistant (CR) packaging technologies used in the U.S. when given to children in Japan. The survey covered 104 Japanese children aged 37-84 months. The results of the survey revealed that of the five types of CR packaging technologies, that which leveraged the differences in hand size and muscle mass between children and adults was effective against children aged 3-6 years. However, the CR packaging styles that rely on literacy, the ability to use tools, and the ability to perform complex operations are only applicable to children of a certain age. This suggests that the differences in the language, culture, and preschool education between Japan and the U.S. have a significant influence on pediatric characteristics. Based on the results of this study, it is possible to adopt CR packaging for Japanese children, which is expected to decrease the number of cases of accidental drug ingestion by children in Japan.